Tech was plunged into a coaching search Saturday when Tommy Tuberville unexpectedly resigned to take the top job at Cincinnati, which had a 9-3 regular season and earned a share of the Big East Conference title.

Morris, 44, and Kingsbury, 33, will have to convince Hocutt their shortage of experience is not an obstacle. The fact neither has long-term college coaching resumes, let alone college head-coaching backgrounds, could be a concern.

“I think it is, more so with Kliff than the other guy,” the first source said. “The biggest concern with Kliff is no head-coaching experience ever and with Morris only head-coaching at the high school level.”

Baylor coach Art Briles, who was a Tech assistant from 2000 to 2002 and has a long coaching pedigree in Texas, also has been mentioned as a potential target, but the first source said the chances of his being the next Red Raiders coach “are slim.”

Briles just signed a contract extension at Baylor, and the Bears are scheduled to open a scenic new stadium in 2014.

Baylor is a private school, so Briles’ contract details aren’t subject to open records laws, but he is thoughts to have a costly buyout for any school that wants to hire him.

Asked what might stand in the way of Tech hiring Briles, the source said, “I think just everything.”

Morris and Kingsbury appear to be the two top candidates, at least at the beginning of the search.

Nationally, Texas A&M ranks third and Clemson ninth in total offense, with Kingsbury’s unit averaging 552.3 yards per game and Morris’ Clemson bunch averaging 518.3.

That’s a little ahead of Tech, which averages 501.4 for 12th in the nation.

Both enjoyed the benefit of having star quarterbacks this season, Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel in Kingsbury’s case and Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year Tajh Boyd in Morris’ camp.

Kingsbury, a former Tech quarterback, didn’t get into coaching until 2008, after his playing career ended.

But he’s gaining traction had after he mentored marquee quarterbacks each of the last two seasons.

Manziel became the first freshman to win the Heisman, and in 2011 Kingsbury served as co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Houston, watching Case Keenum throw for FBS bests of 5,631 yards and 48 touchdowns.

That Houston team finished 13-1, and A&M is 10-2 going into the Jan. 4 Cotton Bowl against Oklahoma.

Morris was born in the northeast Texas town of Edgewood, graduated from Texas A&M and had a record of 169-38 as a head coach in Texas high schools.